Comedienne, feminist firecracker, creating inclusive spaces.
The world of comedy is brutal. It’s relentless and often thankless. Often heralded as the platform for cynics and critics, traditionally comedy, and in particular standup, is a predominantly male, no-holes barred free-for-all. But Maryellen George is on a mission to change that!
Diminutive in stature, but an absolute firecracker in personality, Maryellen breaks the mould on your grumpy, acerbic comics. She is happy and bubbly, and her main mission with her comedy is to spread joy. And she is completely unapologetic about that, much to the disdain of some of her contemporaries.
Growing up in a creative family, she knew her path would lead her somewhere in the arts, and it was her love for writing and making people laugh that ultimately led her to an all-women’s comedy room where she first flexed her comedic muscles.
Now she is mapping her own path, and taking other ‘underrepresented’ comics on her journey with her comedy platform Bits and Pieces. Oh and not to mention she’s also a full time personal trainer! Girl is busy!
I caught Maryellen to discuss all things comedy, including navigating the space as a woman, some of the safety pitfalls of the industry, and how Zoom became the international comedy room. We also spoke about her passion for helping women love and accept their bodies, Can Jam and her upcoming show at the Melbourne International Comedy Festival show Open Bike.